During an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan, Sununu charged that the former secretary of state is voting for President Obama because their both Black.

Sununu says:

“When you take a look at Colin Powell, you have to wonder whether that’s an endorsement based on issues or whether he’s got a slightly different reason for preferring President Obama,”

Morgan followed up asking him to explain the reason that he was suggesting, to which the Romney aide replied saying:

“Well, I think when you have somebody of your own race that you’re proud of being president of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him.”

Sununu’s racially suggestive criticism about Powell, a four star Army general and esteemed member of the Republican party, prompted a sharp response from one of Powell’s former aides, Lawrence Wilkerson. According to Wilkerson, it all boils down to racism within the Republican Party. He told MSNBC’s Ed Schulz:

“My party, unfortunately, is the bastion of those people — not all of them, but most of them — who are still basing their positions on race. Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists, and the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin, and that’s despicable,”

President Obama also fired back at Sununu’s comment during an interview with radio host Michael Smerconish stating:

“I don’t think that there are many people in America who would question General Powell’s credibility, his patriotism, his willingness to tell it straight. So any suggestion that General Powell would make such a profound statement in such an in such an important election based on anything than what he thought was going to be best for America, I think, doesn’t make much sense.”

Sununu’s attack on Colin Powell was out-of-bounds and we’re glad Lawrence Wilkerson wasn’t afraid to be straightforward about the racism within the Republican party!